FIAT 500X Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used FIAT 500X options? We analyzed 8 model years (2016–2023) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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Found a FIAT 500X? Check that exact car.
Model-year trends show patterns — they can't tell you whether this car was crashed, flooded, or rolled back. A VIN check can.
- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the FIAT 500X has 187 owner complaints and 10 safety recalls across model years 2016–2023. The most reported issue area is ENGINE. 2017 drew the most complaints; 2020 drew the fewest.
- Make
- FIAT
- Model
- 500X
- Model years analyzed
- 2016–2023 (8 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 187
- Safety recall campaigns
- 10
- Crash-related complaints
- 4
- Fire-related complaints
- 3
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2017 (15 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2020 (2 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ENGINE
- Reliability signal
- Poor
By model year
FIAT 500X: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
PoorThe FIAT 500X has 187 NHTSA complaints and 10 recalls on record. 4 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 187 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 10 federal recall campaigns
- 4 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Sep 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
10 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2016–2023. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 187 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
187 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
I have an open recall related to the activation system for the airbags. I have not had an event related to the recall at this time, however I am stationed in South Korea as an active duty member. My car is with me in South Korea, and there are no Fiat dealerships in country. I am set for a permanent change of station to Suffolk England, where there are Fiat dealerships in country. The shipper will not take the car with an open recall without a letter from Fiat advising that the recall cannot be addressed at this time due to the lack of dealerships in the country. I have contacted Fiat multiple times and have had case numbers assigned ([XXX]and [XXX]) without any attempts by Fiat made to respond. The recall cannot be addressed while I am in Korea, so without a letter, Fiat is essentially making it impossible for the recall to be addressed. I have spent the last 5 weeks trying to get someone to give me guidance on the issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
DE EL MAP SENSOR. _SE PRO7EDIO A REEMPLAZAR EL MAP SENSOR. CODIGO VOLVIO A PRESENTARSE. DIAGNOST7CO INDICA QUE SI EL CODIGO VULVE REEMPLAZAR EL THROTTLE. SE PR~CEDIO . REEMPLAZAR EL THRTTLE DE LA UNIDAD. SE PROCEDIO A CORRER UNIDAD. UNIDAD NO VOLVIO A PRESENTAR CONDICION. UNIDAD PREPARADA **************************************************** D GENERAL CONCERN #3 [CI UNIDAD LE PRENDIO AVISO DE DRIVE MODE UNAVALIBLE] VE VER COMENTARIOS POR EL TECNICO 3024 CPF . 0.00 REFERENTE A LA LINEA #C UNIDAD PREPARADA. **************************************************** E** COURTESY LOANER CAR, SE ORIENTO AL CLIENTE SOBRE LOS TERMINOS, CONDICIONES Y RESPONSABILIDAD. UNA VEZ LISTO SU VEHICULO DEVOLVERA LA UNIDAD EN UN TERMINO MAXIMO DEL PROXIMO DIALABORABLE LUEGO DE LA NOTIFICACION. SE BRINDO AUTO DE CORTESIA FIAT S00X GP335561 GRACIAS AL DEPT DE VENTAS FIAT ALFA ROMEO DE SAN JUAN. CAUSE: LOANER AGREEMENT OK. LOANER COURTESY LOANER CAR, SE ORIENTO AL CLIENTE SOBRE LOS TERMINOS, CONDICIONES Y RESPONSABILIDAD. UNA VEZ LISTO SU VEHICULO DEVOLVERA LA UNIDAD EN UN TERMINO MAXIMO DEL PROXIMO DIA LABORABLE LUEGO DE LA NOTIFICACION. 3024 CPF *************************** ************************* ON BEHALF OF SEAVICING OEALEA, 1 HEAEBV CEATIFY THAT THE STATEMENT OF OISCLAIMEA INFOAMATION CONTAINEO HEAEON IS ACCUAATE UNLESS OTHEAWISE THE TACTORY WARRANTY CONSTITUTN ALI SHOWN. SERVICES DESCAIBEO WEAE PEAFOAMEO AT NO CHAAGE TO OT THE WARRANTLES WITH RESPECT TO OWNEA. THEAE WAS NO INOICATION FAOM THE APPEARANCE OF THE THE SALE OT THLS LT1M~T1M1. THE SELIER HEREBY EX~ESSLY DISCLALMS ALI VEHICLE OR OTHEAWISE, THAT ANY PART REPAIREO OA REPLACEO WARRANTLES EIT R EXPRW OR UNOER THIS CLAIM HAO BEEN CONNECTEO IN ANY WAY WITH ANY LMPLLED, LNCLUDLNG ANY LMPLIED ACCIOENT, NEGLIGENCE
See attached document for complaint.
On multiple occasions, my 2022 Fiat, while cruising at 55 mph, crests a hill and begins down when the engine increases from 2000 rpm to 4200 rpm and speed increases 9-10 mph almost immediately. A driver is caught unaware and must brake back to the normal speed limit. No other vehicle I’ve driven has done this and no current vehicle I own does this. Unless braking occurs, a driver could easily hit a vehicle in front, if any. Stellantis/Chrysler says this is normal although no other Chrysler vehicle I own does it. The dealer can not find a fault although something they did on the first service visit made it worse. I have two videos of separate instances.
THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN I STARTED THE CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME IT WAS SHOWING A WARNING WITH THE SECURITY SYSTEM OF THE CAR, WHEN I GO TO THE GAS STATION I TRIED TO PUMP GAS AND THE PUMP STOPS PUMPING AND THE CAR WON'T TAKE THE GAS, THROWING IT OUTSIDE, AND SPILLING GAS ON THE FLOOR OF THE GAS STATION AND SPILLING IN MY CLOTHES. TO FILL THE TANK TOOK MY MORE THAN 10 MINUTES TO FIILL IT COMPLETELY, THIS SITUATION WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR EVERYTIME I WILL FILL THE TANK IF IT WAS LOWER THAN HALF SO AFTER THAT I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO DO AN INSPECTION. WHEN THE MECHANICAL CHIEF SAW THE WARNING ON THE CAR HE ASK ME WHEN DID THE CAR STARTED TO SHOW THE WARNING, AND AFTER A FEW WEEKS, THE DEALERSHIP CALLS ME AND TELLS ME THAT THE CAR HAD A FAULTY IN THE ROOF WELDING AND IT WAS LEAKING WATER AND THIS DAMAGE ON OF THE SENSORS IN THE CAR. THEY TOOK THE CAR BACK FOR A MONTH AND THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH THE ROOF BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE GAS CONTINUED. WHEN I TRIED PUMPING GAS IT KEEP DOING THE SAME THING SPILLING GAS, SO I TAKE THE CAR AGAIN TO THE DEALER, AND ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES COMES WITH ME TO SEE THE PROBLEM WHEN THE CARS WON'T TKE GAS AND STARTS SPILLING IT, THE EMPLOYEE CERTIFIED THAT THE CAR HAD A PROBLEM WHEN PUMPING GAS, THEY PROCEED TO DO A SRIES OF TEST, THEY DETERMINED THAT THE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE GAS TANK, THEY SEND THE GAS TANK BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEN THEY DIDN'T HAD THE ANOTHER SPARE TANK BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAD THE MATERIAL TO MAKE A NEW ONE. AFTER A FEW MONTHS AFTER A FEW PHONE CALLS THEY TELL ME THAT IT WOULD TAKE THEM UP TO THREE MONTHS FOR THEM TO GET A NEW GAS TANK, THEY TIRED USING ANOTHER VEHICLE TANK TO INSTALLED ON MINE BUT IT WAS USED, THAT DIDN'T FIXED THE PROBLEM, THE CAR CONTINUES SHOWING OTHER FAULTY THINGS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, TRACTION CONTROL WONT WORK, THE DEALER HAD THE CAR FOR MONTHS FOR TESTING IT HAS BEEN 3 MONTHS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 FIAT 500X. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE REFUELING THE VEHICLE, GASOLINE SPILLED OUT ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FIAT & ALFA ROMEO DE SAN JUAN LOCATED AT ACUARELA 59 - MARGINAL MARTNEZ NADAL, URB, MUOZ RIVERA, 00969, PUERTO RICO, TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. INVALID VIN.
Read 14 more owner reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 FIAT 500X. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY SHIFTED OUT OF DRIVE AND INTO NEUTRAL. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND RE-SHIFTED INTO DRIVE AND CONTINUED DRIVING. AFTER ARRIVING TO HER DESTINATION, SHE ATTEMPTED TO PARK AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS NOT APPLIED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE FRONT BUMPER DETACHED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. A LOCAL DEALER (DEALER INFORMATION WAS UNKNOWN) WAS EMAILED TO REQUEST A TOW. THE VEHICLE REMAINED AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,700. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
I received a customer satisfaction notification from FCA US LLC stating they were recommending some improvements on my 2017 Fiat 500X equipped with a 2.4L engine. They had determined that some vehicles may have been consuming more oil than usual. We had noticed our car running low on oil between oil changes so we took it to our local Fiat dealer with the letter and they stated it wasn't coming up in their system so they couldn't run the test for us. We contacted Fiat directly and they stated the same thing. We did receive a letter so I don't understand what the issue is. My daughter drives the car and now I feel it's a safety issue for her. I wrote a letter to the FCA and have not yet received a response. I need help with this issue and running out of resources to help.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - The component that failed is the RFHM module in the rear driver side wheel well of the car. Due to water leaking into the car, the RFHM module is taking on water damage causing several electrical systems to fail including power steering, airbags, and starter. Both current RFHM and previously damaged RFHM module are available I believe. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - As the car takes on water, the module fills internally with water as well. When this happens, several components of the car begin to go haywire including security, power steering, airbags, and other electronic readers. When this happens going down the road, my car has and can potentially shut itself off which is very dangerous going down a highway. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - I first diagnosed what was going on through with my car through other online forums of people experiencing the same problems. I took my vehicle to my mechanic where he ordered a new RFHM Module and had a mobile locksmith acquire a new key. The locksmith was able to program one old key and one new key with the new module and the car was good to go again. Now, six months later, the same issue is happening with the same piece of equipment. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? - I have not pursued this yet but will be in touch with the manufacturer tomorrow. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - There is no way to know when the car will work or when it won't after it rains or after a car wash. The symptoms come on suddenly and take time to dry out to be useable again.
February 2023 the Fiat breaks and transmission locked up and all of the lights on the dashboard started flashing in the middle of the road. filed claim with geico. turned out to be a leak somewhere in the body frame of the car which leaked water into the RF module of the car causing water damage inside the RF module causing the car transmission to lock up emergency brake lockup and all lights flashing and horn beeping uncontrollably. Geico paid Fiat dealership to replace RF module but not the leak. again in September 2023 this happened in the middle of busy [XXX]. the car completely locked up and screeched to a halt on the interstate nearly causing a crash. The car was taken back to the same dealership. they determined the RF module had water damage again caused by a leak. Geico refused to pay anything for repairs this time. after speaking with Fiat customer service representative, Fiat agreed to pay for diagnosis of leak, location and repair of leak and replacement of RF module. [XXX] the dealership said they found the leak. The leak was located somewhere on the back portion of the car. there was a crack on both sides of the back portion of the car. [XXX] the dealership cannot find the leak. The dealership wants to give the car back. we are terrified to drive the car because it could lock up at any moment again for a third time. after research, we discovered this leak into the RF module has happened many times in the Fiats around the world including UK. this car was purchased brand new by my [XXX] who cannot afford to buy another car and is terrified to drive this car. after posting the malfunction on YouTube, we discovered other people are having the same issue with Fiat. it sounds like a manufacturer defect somewhere in the welding or weather stripping. we have no idea. the dealership took photos of crack, leak. location, attached INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My Fiat 500 x only has 28k miles on it, and it is a manual transmission. While driving, it will not shift into the upper gears. I was told that it needs a new transmission. This seems to be the same issue that the same make and model Fiats from 2016 have been recalled for. Mine is a 2017, but it has the same issue and should be recalled, as well.
Vehicle shuts off while driving. The oil light is almost always on even after getting oil changes.
The contact owns a 2017 Fiat 500x. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly stall. After restarting the engine, the vehicle would operate as normal. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who discovered no engine oil was present inside the engine. The contact indicated that the engine oil had continued to be low shortly after oil changes were performed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but no failure was determined. The vehicle was later serviced at the dealer for an oil consumption test as part of a manufactures service campaign. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the failures. The failure mileage was 1500.
THIS CAR IN BETWEN OIL CHANGES BURN THE OIL COMPLETE. WE TALK ABOUT 4 / 6 MONTHS. THE FIRST TIME MY WIFE DRIVE THE CAR AND THE MOTOR STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, VERY DANGERUS. AFTER APROX. 6 MONTHS LATER BEFORE CHANGE THE OIL BURN ONE MORE TIME AND THE MOTOR WAS EMPTY, NO OIL. IN BOTH CASES I ADD OIL IN ORDER TO MOVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP HAVE SERVICE BOLLETIN, THEY CHECK THE CAR, THEY SAID IS NORMAL FOR THIS CAR. SOMEBODY NEED DIE IN ORDER TO THE DEALERSHIP RECOGNAIZE IS A REAL PROBLEM.
THE FORWARD COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM DOES NOT FUNCTION AT ALL. TOOK IT TO TWO DIFFERENT FIAT DEALERS AND SINCE THERE ARE NO CODES SYSTEM OPERATING, BUT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL.
MY VEHICLE HAS ABRUPTLY SHUT OFF ON MY TWICE NOW. THE FIRST TIME, I HAD JUST MADE A TURN FROM A BUSY INTERSECTION NEAR MY HOME WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THOUGH THE CAR STOPPED MOVING, NONE OF THE ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS OF WOULD SHUT OFF. I HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO MAKE IT SHUT OFF. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE, AND THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO ME, DOING NOTHING BECAUSE THE ISSUE DIDN'T HAPPEN WHEN THEY STARTED THE CAR A DAY LATER. FAST FORWARD SEVERAL WEEKS, THE CAR STOPPED -- THIS TIME ON THE FINAL SPACE OF A BRIDGE. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WE COASTED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BRIDGE WHERE THE CAR STOPPED COMPLETELY. AGAIN, THE CAR WOULDN'T SHUT OFF, BUT IT JUST DIDN'T MOVE. I HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. THIS TIME, I LEFT THE CAR WHERE IT WAS, AND I RETURNED TO PICK UP THE CAR 24 HOURS LATER. THE CAR STARTED AND RAN JUST FINE. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I WAS FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING IT. THEY HAVE KEPT THE CAR FOR FOUR DAYS, AND THEY CALLED ME TO SAY THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT. BECAUSE THERE'S AN OUTSTANDING RECALL (AND, COINCIDENTALLY, AN ENSUING CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT) ON THE CAR, THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD INITIATE THE RECALL ACTION. THIS IS TWO PART ACTION -- I BELIEVE -- BECAUSE FIAT HAS NO INTENTIONS OF PAYING FOR THESE REPAIRS. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CAR, BUT THE MECHANIC DID INDICATE THAT THE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE MANIFESTS ITSELF IN THE WAYS I HAVE DESCRIBED. SO I HAVE TO KEEP MY CAR FOR 1,500 TO 1,700 MILES AND THEN ONLY RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP IF I BELIEVE IT'S THE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE. I'M NOT SURE HOW I'M SUPPOSED TO DETERMINE THAT. ADDITIONALLY, BECAUSE WE'RE IN A PANDEMIC, AND I WFH, IT WILL TAKE ME TEN+ MONTHS TO ACCRUE THAT MANY DRIVE MILES.
SERVICE TRANSMISSION LIGHT APPEARS FOLLOWED BY "DRIVE MODE UNAVAILABLE." WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE IS BASICALLY IN "NEUTRAL." THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING, INCLUDING CITY STREETS AND ON A 65 MPH HIGHWAY. THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER (WHILE DRIFTING) AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL THE DISPLAY CLEARS. FIAT SERVICE UPDATED VEHICLE CONTROL MODULES TO NO AVAIL. TCM WAS REPLACED TO NO AVAIL.
THE CAR STOPPED WORKING SUDDENLY IN THE MIAMI TURNPIKE, DRIVE MODE NOT AVAILABLE WENT ON, ALSO ABS, PARKING AND ENGINE LIGHTS WENT ON. IT WAS SCARY BECAUSE STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT PREVIOUS NOTICE. WE ALMOST HAVE AN ACCIDENT. IT HAPPENS THE SAME IN 2015, SAME MODEL IN TAMPA HIGHWAY.
THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT BUCKLE. BUT SHOWS THAT IT IS BUCKLED.
ON JANUARY 9TH, 2018 I LEASED A NEW 2017 FIAT 500X FROM FIAT AUTO GALLERY VAN NUYS AT 5711 VAN NUYS BLVD, VAN NUYS, CA 91401. TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE WASHING MY CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME, I NOTICED SOME CLOUDY SPOTS ON THE CAR'S EXTERIOR PAINT (3 SPOTS) AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE A BURN SPOT ON THE LEFT PASSENGER DOOR. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE THAT NEEDED TO BE HANDLED BY FIAT. THEY TOOK PICTURES AND WERE SUPPOSED TO CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT AT FIAT TO HANDLE MY CASE. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF NO ACTIVITY, I CALLED CUSTOMER SERVICE AT FIAT DIRECTLY AND HAD THEM OPEN A CASE FOR ME. THE CASE AGENT COORDINATED WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO SEND THE PICTURES TO THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT AT FIAT, AN INSPECTOR CAME OUT TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IN FACT, MY CAR'S PAINT HAD A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THIS WAS DETERMINED BACK IN APRIL AND FIAT HAS FAILED TO RESOLVE MY CASE. I HAVE CALLED SEVERAL TIMES AND HAVE BEEN LIED TO REPEATEDLY THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE IN TOUCH WITH ME TO EITHER REPLACE MY VEHICLE OR HAVE ME TURN IN THE VEHICLE FOR A FULL REFUND. IT HAS BEEN 10 MONTHS SINCE I ALERTED FIAT OF THE ISSUE AND THEY REFUSE TO RESOLVE MY CASE.
Showing 20 of 187 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact FIAT 500X
These pages show model-year patterns across 8 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used FIAT 500X, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The FIAT 500X has 187 complaints on record across 8 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The FIAT 500X has 10 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 4 of the FIAT 500X's 187 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all FIAT 500X vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two FIAT 500X vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The FIAT 500X has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
Check a FIAT 500X by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used FIAT 500X.
Research more
Keep researching before you buy
Compare brands and categories, then check the exact car's history by VIN.
FIAT 500X reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the FIAT 500X reliable?
Poor. The FIAT 500X has 187 NHTSA owner complaints and 10 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is ENGINE. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which FIAT 500X years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2017 (15 complaints), 2018 (11 complaints), 2019 (3 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common FIAT 500X problems?
Top reported issues: ENGINE (65 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (59 complaints); POWER TRAIN (56 complaints).
Does the FIAT 500X have recalls?
Yes — 10 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the FIAT 500X. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.